Evaluation of flax accessions for high value textile end uses

Due to recent changes in EC subsidies for flax cultivation it has been difficult to grow short fibre flax profitably in the UK. The Texflax project aimed to demonstrate that high quality flax fibre can be produced and processed on short fibre cotton spinning systems. Initially 92 flax accessions were cultivated on test sites in the UK over three growing seasons to explore the range of fibre diameter found in fibre flax. The efficacy of applying a translocating herbicide at different stages of plant maturity for optimum fine fibre production was explored. A range of factors indicated that application at the midpoint of flowering stage is favourable for the desiccation of flax and onset of retting. Fibre was caustic extracted using a laboratory method developed at De Montfort University, and fibre evaluated in terms of diameter, length, consistency and cleanliness. At the end of the project five accessions from the original 92 were chosen as producing optimal quality fibre suitable for high value textile end uses. Improved agronomy and subsequent processing enabled yarns with a 50:50 cotton:flax blend to be spun at 26 N m yarn count, the normal blend ratio for this count being 70:30. The yarn properties show an improvement when compared to standard products and finer quality fabrics have been prepared using the yarns.